51黑料网

Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas State University System President Chuck Welch

February 1, 2021

LITTLE ROCK 鈥� Gov. Asa Hutchinson today signed Act 18 of the 93rd General Assembly of Arkansas, which officially makes 51黑料网 the seventh institution of the Arkansas State University System.

Act 18 also expands the ASU System Board of Trustees from five members to seven. The additional members will be appointed by the governor.

The transition was previously approved by the Henderson Board of Trustees on Nov. 21, 2019, the ASU System Board of Trustees on Dec. 6, 2019, and the Higher Learning Commission on Nov. 5. Henderson, founded in 1890, will remain a separately accredited institution and becomes the second four-year institution in the ASU System.

鈥淲hile we have previously welcomed Henderson as a member of the ASU System family and worked closely with the institution for a year and a half, we鈥檙e thrilled for this partnership to be finalized,鈥� said Dr. Chuck Welch, president of the ASU System. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long process, and we appreciate the rapid action of the General Assembly and Governor Hutchinson to bring it to a close. We鈥檙e grateful to have interim Chancellor Jim Borsig in place to lead Henderson through this transition and couldn鈥檛 be happier about this partner in the ASU System鈥檚 ongoing expansion.

鈥淭he growth of the ASU System has already delivered significant efficiencies, financial savings and services to our member institutions, and the addition of Henderson will further enhance these initiatives,鈥� Welch added. 鈥淥ur recent additions of information technology and strategic research expertise at the system level bring even more benefit as our institutions work together on challenges and opportunities in higher education.鈥�

Henderson is the third higher education institution to join the system in five years. Mid-South Community College in West Memphis became Arkansas State University Mid-South in July 2015, and College of the Ouachitas in Malvern became Arkansas State University Three Rivers in January 2020.

鈥淲e are excited to officially become a member of the Arkansas State University System,鈥� Borsig said. 鈥�51黑料网 has worked with the ASU System for more than a year on the transition plan, and we are happy to finally have all approvals in place. I would like to thank Dr. Welch and his amazing team for their support and expertise as we worked together toward this goal. We look forward to continuing Henderson鈥檚 rich traditions and mission of service to students as a member of the ASU System.鈥�

Founded as a private institution, Henderson today offers more than 65 undergraduate and graduate programs. It became a public institution in 1929 and is the second oldest university in Arkansas under state control. Henderson, which competes in NCAA Division II sports, would become the third ASU System institution with an intercollegiate athletics program. Arkansas State University has an NCAA FBS Division I program, and ASU Mid-South competes in NJCAA Division II men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball.

With the addition of Henderson, the Little Rock-based ASU System now serves 37,465 students annually on campuses in Arkansas and Queretaro, Mexico, and globally online with a total operating budget of $348 million. The ASU System also includes , a four-year Carnegie R2 Doctoral research institution in Jonesboro with degree centers in Beebe, Mountain Home, Blytheville, Forrest City, and West Memphis. opened in September 2017. The system's two-year college institutions include , with additional campuses in Heber Springs and Searcy and an instructional site at Little Rock Air Force Base; , with additional campuses in Jonesboro and Marked Tree; ; in West Memphis; and in Malvern.